Editorials

Jeffco's contract for Daniel McMinimee still needs work

Daniel McMinimee, who has been chosen as Jefferson County schools next superintendent, addresses district parents on May 18 at Carmody Middle School. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

Under most circumstances, the hiring of Daniel McMinimee as a school superintendent would hardly have caused a stir.

Although he hasn't been a superintendent previously, he has solid education credentials to support the promotion. The Jefferson County school board found a credible leader when it plucked him from Douglas County.

However, opponents who turned out in droves for a raucous Tuesday night Jeffco board meeting made some valid points in criticizing his proposed salary and contract terms.

In fact, we had made some of these points previously. A base salary of $280,000 is high for a first-time superintendent in Colorado. His predecessor, who had held the job for a dozen years, earned a base salary of $205,000.

Lesley Dahlkemper, a board member who ended up voting against McMinimee's hiring, said the proposed salary "is not commensurate with experience."

However, there's still time to lower the base salary and add a bonus structure to reward the new superintendent for student achievement, with a focus on improving students who are below grade level.

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It's also a mistake to offer McMinimee a five-year-contract because it sets up the district to pay him a year's salary if a new majority is elected before the contract is up and decides to replace him.

Beyond these issues, it's clear there are deep divisions between the new board majority and others, most notably the teacher's union, about the direction of the district.

But this new board didn't do itself any favors when it imposed severe restrictions on public comment Tuesday and rebuffed efforts to modify the contract.

The good news is that the contract is not yet signed and details are set to be discussed June 5.

The board majority ran in part on fiscal responsibility. One way to demonstrate that commitment would be to adjust the terms of McMinimee's contract.

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